Archive for January, 2013

Happy Catholic Schools Week! We want our Catholic schools to continue their fine work, so in this newsletter, we lay out the goals that will guide our education advocacy efforts for the next two years as the lawmakers elected in November take their seats in the 98th General Assembly. Topping our wish list is a restoration of funding to the Textbook Block Grant, Educational Improvement and School Safety Block Grant, ...

Rhode Island lawmakers are also currently debating redefinition of marriage legislation. Although the measure has passed the House, its chances for approval are not considered a slam dunk in the Senate.
Watch and listen to this video of Rhode Island Rep. Arthur Corvese, D-North Providence, as he eloquently speaks in favor of preserving marriage. Corvese also serves as a deputy majority leader.

Jan. 28, 2013 show
It's Marriage Monday, as the entire program is devoted to redefinition of marriage efforts currently being pushed in the Illinois legislature. Sen. Kirk Dillard, R-Hinsdale, joins host Bob Gilligan to talk about the importance of grassroots advocacy in preserving marriage. Dillard is one of several lawmakers who last year filed an amicus brief in the yet-to-be-heard redefinition of marriage case in Cook County court. The brief states that redefinition of marriage should be decided in ...

Gov. Pat Quinn today signed into law Senate Bill 957, which extends Temporary Visitor Driver's Licenses TVDL) to undocumented immigrants living in Illinois.
The legislation has an effective date of 10 months after it is signed, meaning TVDLs will start being issued to the undocumented around Nov. 28, 2013.
Illinois now becomes the fourth state to issue some sort of driver's licenses to undocumented immigrants, joining New Mexico, Utah and Washington ...

Need a guide on answering the tough questions on redefinition of marriage? In "Getting the Marriage Conversation Right: A Guide for Effective Dialogue," author William B. May offers readers a perspective that focuses on the rights of children, since marriage is the only institution that unites children with their moms and dads, as well as being recognized by every culture, society and religion.
May's book also includes a section of Frequently Asked Questions that gets to the heart of the debate ...

The Illinois Family Institute is sponsoring a Lobby Day to Preserve Marriage on Wed., Feb. 20, 2013, at the state Capitol in Springfield. Show up at the Capitol rotunda at 10:30 a.m., and look for a table sponsored by IFI in a hallway off the rotunda, where you can pick up information on lobbying your lawmakers.
For more information, click here, or call IFI at 708-781-9328.
Download a flyer ...

The Illinois House today passed Senate Bill 957, paving the way for undocumented immigrants to apply for Temporary Visitor Driver's Licenses.
House lawmakers approved the measure on a 65-46 vote. (Read the roll call here.) The Senate previously passed the legislation, which will now go to Gov. Pat Quinn for consideration. Quinn, however, has said he will sign the bill into law.
The Catholic Conference of Illinois praised final passage of SB 957. CCI Executive Director Robert Gilligan ...

The Catholic Conference of Illinois is backing an expansion of Medicaid to adults earning up to 138 percent of the federal poverty level.
The expansion, embodied in House Bill 106 and Senate Bill 26, is part of the federal health care act passed in 2010. The Affordable Care Act for the first time extends Medicaid -- the state-federal health insurance for low-income children, their parents and the disabled ...

Pastoral leaders representing more than 1,700 faith communities in Illinois – parishes, congregations, churches and Friday prayer locations and Masjids – have signed a letter sent to Illinois lawmakers, urging them to safeguard both marriage and religious freedom by rejecting any legislative efforts to redefine marriage
The faith leaders note that traditional marriage “is the natural order embracing the complementary physical, emotional and spiritual design of men and women.”
They also warn that simply not being forced to preside over same-sex marriages ...